Packers Rumors: Latest Buzz, Players to Watch at Mandatory Minicamp
The Green Bay Packers offseason program is officially underway with OTAs running through Thursday, June 6. Players will then get a little reprieve before wrapping things up with a mandatory minicamp from June 11-13.
That, of course, means that it's offseason buzz season. The long stretch with no NFL action leaves fans clamoring for whatever morsel of news they can find and these shorts and T-shirt workouts are just enough to create some optimism.
This is also the prime season for contract extensions. With Justin Jefferson getting paid the attention now shifts to a few quarterbacks up for extensions. The Packers faithful know that Jordan Love is on that list as we head toward training camp.
With that in mind, here's a look at some of the latest buzz surrounding the team heading into next week's mandatory minicamp.
Timetable for Jordan Love Extension Set
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Jordan Love came into 2023 with one of the most fascinating contract situations in the quarterback landscape. After sitting for three years the team had to make a decision on his fifth-year option as a former first-round pick.
The team opted to give him a one-year contract extension with less guaranteed money but the potential to be worth more than the option would have been.
That pact has him on the roster through this season, but it's best to get out ahead of these things when talking about quarterback contracts. The Packers front office seems to agree. General manager Brian Gutekunst provided an update on a contract extension for Love in an appearance on 97.3 The Game (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL Media).
"We're in those conversations right now," he said. "The nice part about this is none of these things are always easy or fast, but both parties want the same thing. We'd like to get this done before training camp for sure. Both parties want to get a contract extension done."
Spotrac projects a four-year, $191.6 million contract as Love's market value. It's a lot of money to hand a player with such a small sample size, but given the going rate for quarterbacks and how many teams would be excited to have the 25-year-old it's a plausible basis for his next contract.
Regardless of where the numbers add up, it would be a nice change of pace for the Packers to get some long-term security at quarterback.
Rasheed Walker "Locked in" amid Left Tackle Battle with Jordan Morgan
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One of the most interesting aspects of spring and summer work is tracking the early stages of position battles that might last until camp.
The Green Bay Packers offensive line certainly applies and one position that could be up for grabs is the left tackle spot. The Packers drafted Jordan Morgan with their first-round pick. He was the blindside protector at Arizona.
That doesn't mean that he's going to win the left tackle job, though. Morgan lacks prototypical length at the tackle position and Rasheed Walker doesn't plan on simply conceding the position to the rookie.
Head coach Matt LaFleur praised Walker's approach to the offseason and the competition.
"He's come in with the right mindset," LaFleur said, per Zach Kruse of Packers Wire. "He's been a guy that's been totally locked in and totally dialed in (during the offseason workout program)."
With David Bakhtiari struggling with a knee injury again, Walker was the starter at left tackle for much of the season. He had struggled at the beginning of the season but was much improved as the Packers caught fire in the second half of the season.
Morgan has the ability to play multiple positions across the line and the Packers haven't been afraid to move their linemen around. Those all bode well for Walker to win the left tackle spot by Week 1.
Xavier McKinney, Packer Secondary Continue to Build Chemistry
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If the Packers are going to build on the momentum of their finish to 2023, it's going to have to include a better secondary. Last year's group struggled to defend good passing attacks and ranked 24th in EPA allowed per dropback.
Part of that had to do with a safety group that didn't look good on paper and wasn't any better once the games started being played. The Packers tried to fix it in 2023 with incumbents and a few veteran free agents on cheap one-year deals.
This year, they paid up to add Xavier McKInney and it already seems to be doing wonders.
Teammate Jaire Alexander already had big praise for his new teammate.
"I know Sav (Darnell Savage) left, that's my dude, and I miss Sav, but having X, we're already on the same page with things. He communicates," Alexander told media at OTAs, per Zach Kruse of Packers Wire.
Communication is going to be key for the Packers secondary in 2024. Not only are they breaking in some new personnel, but the existing personnel is learning Jeff Hafley's system after he was hired as defensive coordinator this offseason.
McKinney's continued leadership and the secondary's ability to pick up Hafley's system is a key element to track in OTAs.
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